Inventor of the Hot Dog

When Harry M. Stevens invented the hot dog in 1901, I don’t think he could have ever imagined someone consuming 70 dogs in 10 minutes on a nationally televised event. Stevens, a Niles resident, is credited for coming up with the modern concept for the hot dog. After moving from England to Ohio, he became obsessed with sports, especially baseball. His company, Harry M. Stevens Inc. was a catering business aimed at selling to sports venues. His business was thriving and had obtained contracts to sell refreshments at several major sports venue. Legend has it that one cold night in April 1901, Stevens realized that he couldn’t sell ice cream or other cold refreshments. Instead, he ordered his staff to stuff rolls with sausages. When served, the product resembled a dachshund dog. This led to its shorter, more common name, the “hot dog”. Some of the early baseball fans were scared away by the food believing hot dogs actually contained dog meat. However, hot dogs soon became one of the most popular ball park foods and eventually an American icon. Stevens is also credited for inventing the baseball scorecard. Harry and his family lived in Niles before he passed away in 1934.